Mark Olshaker Author Archives

Artspace is not the only organization dedicated to providing affordable living and working opportunities for artists.

When the subject of workforce housing is invoked in any discussion, we tend to think of police officers, firefighters, teachers and other municipal employees. But there is a national nonprofit organization with an ever-expanding footprint and sphere of influence that is enlarging that definition to another cohort its leaders consider critical to a healthy and complete urban environment: Artists.

In the 15-year history of the program, there has been nothing particularly funny about New Markets Tax Credits. But that could soon change—at least if a public-private civic consortium in western New York State gets its wish. Their aspiration is clear and direct: We Want To Be the Laughingstock of the Nation.

During his playing days, Mo Vaughn, the 1995 American League MVP, was celebrated for his big bat and patrolling the first base side of the infield, at Fenway Park in Boston, Anaheim Stadium in California, and finally at Shea Stadium in Queens. But since his injury-mandated retirement in 2003, Vaughn has been dominating a substantially larger piece of real estate: the low-cost and affordable housing spheres of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and elsewhere.

“The Big Picture is I’ve always felt that those of us who operate in this area are doing something that is helping to implement Congressional intent to try to make affordable housing available to people, and to try to foster the rehabilitation of historic buildings. And even though the work can be very technical and you’re dealing with very complicated provisions, when you step back and look at that Big Picture, I’ve always taken a lot of satisfaction that what we’re doing is doing good. That’s important to me.”

The homepage states, “The mission of the Department of Neighborhood Development is to make Boston the most livable city in the nation.” It then goes on to explain, “DND’s main functions are to set and implement the City’s housing policy, manage the City’s real estate portfolio, and strengthen Boston’s small businesses.”

Each year since 2004, NH&RA has bestowed its Affordable Housing Vision Award to affordable housing and community
development leaders who have made valuable contributions to the field and demonstrated years of leadership, commitment and imagination. Recognizing that providing housing for those who cannot meet the market rates is an always complex and challenging endeavor, demanding both perseverance and foresight, NH&RA seeks to single out men and women in all aspects of the industry whose careers and achievements serve as examples and role models. Traditionally, one individual is chosen from the profit sector and one from the nonprofit sector.

If we had to pick a single word that best characterizes the approach to senior living exemplified by Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly of Boston, Massachusetts, we would find that word right in the name: Community.

Contrary to the messages of the latest spate of dystopian science fiction novels and futuristic prognosticators, the brave new world of high technology and computer control has not eliminated the role of human beings or made them obsolete. At least, not in the area of energy efficiency.

“We’re seeing tons of technology but you still need someone to watch it,” asserts Brian Klansky, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Bright Power, Inc., an 11-year-old energy management company in New York City. “Often you’ll see a project whose energy saving systems doesn’t work over time because no one’s monitoring it. By Year-Three or Four, you’re almost back to ground zero.”

Whenever politics, public policy and competing interests converge, the effects can be explosive
and controversial.

Visionary filmmaker George Lucas has rocketed back from his self-created galaxy of long ago and far away to contribute to the dimension of affordable housing right here on earth: specifically, on his expansive property in Marin County, California, north of San Francisco.